Intro: Tonto and the Lone Ranger were riding through a canyon together when all of a sudden both sides were filled with Indian warriors on horses, dressed for battle. The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and asked, “What are we going to do?” Tonto replied, “What you mean ‘we,’ Whiteman?”
Paul has told the church how to stand firm against attacks and conflicts from the outside. He is changing gears and teaching us how to stand against one of the devils most deadly tools conflict on the inside. What we have to understand from the beginning is that conflict is neutral. The results of conflict depend on our response to them. God wants us united the devil wants us divided.
Paul gently commands the Philippians to be united. He is not merely telling them or us to live in love and harmony because of fondness for each other. There will always be people in the body of believers whether at this location or others that you are not necessarily fond of. This goes beyond simple fondness to the responsibilities we have as members of the household of God. The togetherness or unity of the early church was not the result of natural oneness but a supernatural bond.
Paul is trying to say in a gracious and fatherly way to the Philippians he loves, “Your disagreements reveal that there is a spiritual problem in your fellowship. It isn’t going to be solved by rules or threats. It’s going to be solved when your hearts are right with Christ and with each other.”
Jesus prayed that His disciples would be united our time in John 17 emphasizing the importance Jesus place on unity. (Read John 17:11, 21, 22, 23)
There are four foundations stones in this passage that reveal that we as God’s body have the resources and responsibility to glorify Jesus by being supernaturally united.
I. Four essentials of unity (Philippians 2:1)
We will view the four essentials as foundation stones for unity
A) Foundations stone one for unity is the experience of Christ’s life
Is (since) there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? (NLT) If you can’t be encouraged by what Jesus did for you at salvation and is doing by constantly filling you with His life there is no need to worry about the rest of Paul’s encouragement. It is the life of Jesus that puts in us the desire and ability to unite with other believers. God’s will is for the Body and Bride of Christ to be united in community. God is at work in us both to will(desire) and to do (deeds) (Philippians 2:13)
Thelo (will) means to determine and refers to one's desire and implies volition and purpose. Thelo refers to thoughtful, purposeful choice, not to mere whim or emotional desire. God’s at work in you changing your desires and decisions!! Work – energeo God’s helper is always at work in us to make our life and service effective for Him! This is the reason for uniting with other believers.
We can learn a lot from sunflowers.
The Sunflower is probably the most amazing flowers God created. They literally follow the sun. Watching a sunflower follow the sun is interesting. Watching hundreds in absolute unison follow the sun is actually quite incredible. Something I found out recently, is that Sunflowers continue tracking the suns direction long after sun set. Through 360 degree’s they ensure that they are always oriented in the direction of the sun. Their unity is totally dependent on one thing, their relationship to the sun. The same holds true for us church. Our unity is totally dependent on the Sun Jesus.
B) Foundation stone two for unity is the example of Christ’s love
“since there is a certain tender persuasion that comes from divine love” (Wuest)
God loved us in the deepest, darkest, most degraded point in our lives. “While we were yet sinners Christ died (loved) for us.” With that kind of love being poured in our hearts there should be such a persuasion to move beyond any hurt, or imagined hurt or hang up we have with each other. This pictures Jesus whispering His love in our ear when we want to respond to each other with any other attitude or action. We have to ask ourselves do we know the tender cheer that love brings. This is prayer, Jesus speaking love and compassion overpowering our desire for judgment and condemnation.
C) Foundation stone three for unity is the encouragement of Christ’s body
If there is any common life in you! We share the common life of the Holy Spirit that is the reason to be united. Hebrews 10:24, 25 say, to stir up or encourage each other. The only way to do that is for the Holy Spirit to place common life, goal, interests, and participation in the life of Christ in us.
D) Foundation stone four for unity is the expression of Christ’s compassion
Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? (NLT) Do you feel it in the pit of your stomach? The Hebrew people like many other ancient people expressed attitudes and emotions in terms of physiological symptoms. When we have deep emotions or attitudes it often affects us physically. Stress can lead to strokes or heart attacks etc. There are physical ramifications to the emotional, mental, and physical choices and pressures we face. Compassion is a desire to relieve someone’s pain or suffering. If we looked at each other as Christ does we would want to help and not hurt. Pray and not gossip, give and not gripe. In other words do we hurt for each other?
II. Three expressions of unity (Phil 2:2-4)
Each of the three expressions is in the present tense in the Greek calling for a continual lifestyle. You may have seen it on the welcoming slide but we are to, “Cultivate Life in Common around Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:10 “have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.” (The Message)
Unity will flourish where we cultivate these essentials and expressions under the power of God’s Holy Spirit. But if we must learn and cultivate then it doesn’t come to us naturally. We will have to seek to surrender to God’s gooder design for the body of Christ.
A) Responsibility number one is harmony (Think the same, love the same, feel the same, same goal)
1) Right thinking is essential to spiritual unity. Paul is saying we should seek to come to a genuine agreement. This is a call for unity and not uniformity.
2) Right loving
Light foot translates this, “animated by an equal and mutual love” Paul is not talking about sentimental or emotional love. This loves overflows from obedience to God. This is agape love or love of the will. Choosing what is best for others.
3) Right feeling
knit together in all your sympathies and affections. (Lightfoot) The harmony of the triune God should pervade our feelings of one another.
4) Right purpose
“united in all your thoughts and aims” (Lightfoot)
Unity goes far deeper than agreement on denomination, worship style, or participation in a common task. Unity that is from the Spirit affects every part of our being.
Here's an illustration of the effect you are are having on the body of Christ if you are playing "out of tune": A high school orchestra was preparing for a concert that featured a pianist in a rendition of Grieg’s A-minor concerto. Before the performance, it was customary for the orchestra to tune up with an “A” sounded by the oboe player. But the oboist was a practical joker, and he had tuned his instrument a half step higher than the piano. You can imagine the effect. After the pianist played a beautiful introduction, the members of the orchestra joined in. What confusion! Every instrument was out of tune with the piano. What would it have been like if half the orchestra insisted on playing in one key and the other half in a different key? How much worse is it when everyone in a local body is "doing their own thing"?
What is our purpose? The purpose of Immanuel Baptist Church is to cultivate life in common with Jesus as the center, so that we can share His story, so that we can display His glory, So that we can make disciples.
B) Responsibility number two is humility
Humility is not a weak man’s surrender. Humility is a strong man refusing to assert his rights and privilege. If we could listen to John the Baptist I think this is what he would say, “The smaller we become the more room God has to work.” Humility is not putting ourselves down but lifting others up. If we humble ourselves God promises to lift us up. If we are only interested in our selves he will humiliate us.
C) Responsibility number three is helpfulness
Modern psychology blames many problems on low self-esteem. The Bible blames in on sinful self-centeredness. Paul is trying to gingerly teach us that preoccupation with our selves is sinful and will destroy the unity of the body. Unity results in putting Christ first then others then ourselves. This also results in joy.
Martin Luther said, "We need goat sense." He tells of seeing two goats meeting on a path on a mountain ledge. Instead of butting one another, one of them laid down and allowed the other one to pass over him. That is real humility and is what we need in the Church.
III. The example of unity Jesus
What is the price for unity? Death to self! According to the example of Jesus the way to unity is to turn away from our own desires (repentance) in order to focus on the desires of God and the needs of others. Paul gave this emptying passage as an example of what it takes to preserver unity in the body. It is based on a God who looks not only to His own interests but the interests of His creation that we are to be moved to unity in the body. Paul says have this same attitude.
Remember as Robert Murray M'Cheyne said... "It's not great talents that God blesses, but great likeness to Jesus."
A) He released His place (Philippians 2:6)
We must understand what Jesus gave up to fulfill the Father’s will and gain our pardon. He gave up a throne for thorns. He gave up the crown of the universe for the crucifixion of earth. He was and is God and gave up His rightful place as the Son of God to become the savior of men.
B) He refused His privilege (Phil 2:7,8)
“He emptied Himself, He became a servant.” Don’t miss the fact that Jesus chose to become a servant. We must not miss the lesson found in this deep truth. The only person in all of creation that should have asserted his rights waived them, you and I can do the same!
C) He restricted His presence
There is a lot of talk about freedom today especially from the pulpits of America. What is the Bible teaching us? Jesus gave up his limitless unbounded freedom as God to become man. Jesus not only became man but He entered this world through the doorway of a woman’s womb. Eternal God freely allowed Himself to be limited to Mary’s womb. He hungered and thirsted, he hurt emotionally and spiritually and physically for those he loved! He was completely God and completely man.
D) He realized His purpose (Phil 2:9)
Jesus purpose was to obediently point Himself to the cross. It was obedience even to death on the cross. In humility we obey God and realize our purpose on the earth and in the church. We too are to give our lives a ransom to serve God and each other. True joy is found in losing our lives for the glory of God and the good of others.
E) He received His promotion
Phil 2:9 – 11 Jesus humbled Himself and God has exalted Him. Everything and everyone will bow before Him in reverence and worship one day.
Conclusion: Jesus’ example shows us that the way up is down. James 4:10 says God exalts the humble. If we humble ourselves God will raise us up to do something amazing for His Kingdom.
